Bubka Back On His Feet Again

Monte-Carlo, Monaco

Sergei Bubka is making positive strides on the road to recovery - already standing and almost walking - after sustaining multiple fractures in a three-story fall earlier this month.

The 25-year-old Ukrainian has been undergoing six hours of physical therapy daily, assisted by his Italian physiotherapist Gianluca, whom he calls “his magician”. Last week, Bubka also began making visits to the pool.

Despite the injuries, Bubka found much to be thankful for following the accident. “The circumstances leading to the fall were all so unlucky, but since the accident I feel I have been really lucky,” said Bubka. “I was lucky to be alive and not have damaged anything major. I was lucky my friends found me and took me to a great hospital where they took great care of me.”

Bubka admitted he didn’t remember the fall, which occurred when he leaned to look outside the window upon getting locked inside the bathroom of his friend’s flat, but remembers yelling for help. After waking up from nine hours of surgery at the Georges Pompidou hospital in Paris, he asked him mom four different times where he was and how he got there.

He expressed his gratitude for all those who came to visit him at the hospital, including Sergiy Stakhovsky, Malek Jaziri and Bob Brett, and for the outpouring of support received via text messages and e-mail.